[SoberFlick]

Hello all.
New to the site but not recovery. I'm going on 11 months of sobriety (from the Alcohol, Methadone, Fentanyl, Oxy, Morphine, etc. A true garbagecan at heart.) I'm loving life and recovery, and am working through my ninth step - all is good... With me anyway. My wife crossed the invisible "alcoholism line" after I started my recovery. I had always thought she was a normal drinker because when I was struggling, she could take it or leave it. She's been struggling with relapse because I think up until recently, she wasnt totally convinced that she couldn't out-think this thing (what we true alcoholics have had to realize to start recovery.) She started on a relatively short bender recently, and as opposed to saying something to her about her drinking right away (which I've done every other time even though I should know better,) I let it go, and let it lead her to whatever end it was going to, because I know that I HAD TO FIND MY BOTTOM to feel the necessary pain to fuel my own recovery. Well, it seems to have worked. She's EXTREMELY tremulous, and her blood pressure has been up, and she's been throwing up some. We don't have any medications around (benzos or other) however I do have some Vistaril that has seemed to help her somewhat. In reading about the old timers in our wonderful BB of AA, I remember reading that they said that they even kept alcohol in their homes to help the occasional alcoholic kick the shakes. Well, I've been doing just that. I've been monitoring her BP, and giving her enough alcohol to keep it under control, and allow her to no shake quite so violently. While her withdrawals are bad to her (hopefully enough for her to remember - with the help of AA of course :-) they're not extreme. After my 2.5liters a day of tequila bender that ended with a half-gallon of mint-burst Listerine, I wound up in the hospital and had some pretty extreme withdrawals, seizures, etc, but I owe this woman my life, because I would be dead without her - she's the one who took me to the hospital and kept me honest through the start of my recovery. Well, now she has a whole new perspective and understanding of the process. That all leads into my question (sorry so windy...):

I know that she needs to suffer to help fuel her recovery, which is why I let her go this last time, so I don't want to give her enough to completely numb her to the process. I understand that a little pain now means not a LOT of pain later, so I get that, just wanted to confirm here. I want to help her through this as much as I can, but am unable to find anything anywhere as to how much or little alcohol to give her, and any weaning schedule. While I know it needs to be quick lest problems persist, I also want to ensure that she is able to sleep, keep down food, and all the other stuff that recovery is so dependent on, i.e, rest, energy, vitamins, and the like. Does anyone here know of, or has come across, a seemingly reputable source for this procedure of speed-weaning, or is it just something that one does intuitively? Does anyone know how Dr. Bob and Bill W. calculated it, or did they just wing it?

Any help is appreciated. Oh, and I know that hospital is a good backfall, but she's a nurse and is known at all the area hospitals, so if possible, I'd like to not impact her professional career or good name.

Thanks all, God Bless, and "Keep coming back! It works if you work it!"

SoberFlick